


Uncertain Times

by Smol_Zdots



Category: Destiny (Video Games), Destiny 2 - Fandom
Genre: Amnesia, Destiny, Distrust, Europa(destiny), Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Exo Stranger - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gambit (Destiny), Game: Destiny 2: Beyond Light DLC Spoilers, Game: Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen, Game: Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter, Hate Sex, Isolation, Love/Hate, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Pre-Game: Destiny 2: Beyond Light DLC, Presage mission, Slow Build, Stranded, Tags May Change, The Tower (Destiny), Threesome - F/F/M, War Table Sex, War table, Warlock(destiny), Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smol_Zdots/pseuds/Smol_Zdots
Summary: "It pains me to say this, but we need you. The two of us aren't enough for what could be lurking out there. The Stranger was summoned by the Nine to do this. It's difficult to get out of a mission like that." The drifter contemplated the words she spoke. Clearly the Stranger had given her more information than she was willing to share, and whatever it was, it was something serious enough that Eris reached out to him of all people."What about this huh, who's going to take care of Gambit and the lot while I'm gone?" He said, trying to think of any and all excuses as to not go. He really didn't wish to be spending at least a couple of weeks in a single tent with people he certainly did not trust. Then again, who did he trust at this point?"I'm sure either Zavala Or Shaxx will figure something out." There was hesitation within her voice, as if the next words she was going to say were embarrassing and pained "Please. This is a gravely important matter. This is the *Darkness* we are dealing with. " She said, her lips curling into an uncomfortable frown.After a moment of thought, Drifter sighed and rose from the chair he was sat in. "Fine, let me pack my stuff, and I'll meet you at the Hangar.”
Relationships: Elsie Bray/The Drifter, Eris Morn/Elsie Bray, Female Guardian/Crow, Female Guardian/Uldren Sov, The Drifter/Eris Morn, The Drifter/Eris Morn/Exo Stranger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. The beginning of the end

It did not take many steps down the annex stairs for the Drifter to realise who exactly was visiting him that day. Every one of his more “frequent” visitors had very consistent walking patterns, which he categorised by importance and threat level. 

The young wolf had constantly changing sounds, sometimes deeper and sometimes more sharp, depending on the armour they wore, but their rhythm and pace was always quick, always seeming to be 2 steps ahead of where Drifter assumes they are. It made him feel uneasy, the Guardian seemed to be the only person that the Drifter couldn't predict, couldn't put his finger on what they were doing and where they were going. The thought of them turning on everyone in the tower kept him up at night, his ever present fear of the second collapse mingling his mind in fantastical and ever complicated ways.

Commander Zavala had a firm yet slow step, as if he took his time with every step he made to look around himself and ensure that not a single thing was out of place. Yet there was power in his footsteps, that sense of dread and ever present danger with every loud step taken. If the Commander was in the annex, something was wrong. 

The Crow seemed rushed, quick, unprepared and not sure what steps to take. He only arrived at the tower recently, so the Drifter had not memorised his steps yet. He only ever walked into the annex twice, and he didn’t speak to Drifter either time. Could be because he was busy, or maybe because Drifter knew exactly what was under that cheap mask. How it's fooling anybody he would never understand. Much like the Young Wolf, the Crow was a large uncertainty growing ever present within the tower, especially with him settling into H.E.L.M and spending more time with Characters such as Osiris. 

But none of those matched the sound he was hearing. Quick yet powerful, they made plenty of noise within the small corridors of the annex. The jingling of beads, jewels and ornaments only further cemented who was approaching. 

“Hey, Moondust, I don't remember the last time I've seen you here. “ The Drifter’s voice was drawn out as he sat at a table, closely examining some Vex components. His eyes just aren't what they used to be anymore, living for hundreds of years and traversing many planets seriously took a toll on him. He doesn't have the immediate healing effects that many guardians take for granted. Eris would surely know how that feels. 

“I certainly am not pleased to be here, and I'm even less pleased to have to ask what I'm about to ask. “ Her voice was full of annoyance, turning the corner to finally come face to face with the man. 

“I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I ain't getting married any time soon.” he said with a soft chuckle under his breath. Humour is how he seemed to cope with the anger that slowly seemed to seep into every crack of his mind. 

“This is a serious matter, not one to make frivolous jokes about. “ She hissed back, and Drifter could feel the piercing stare of her eyes, making a target on his back to stab a knife into. 

“Right, go on. You have always been so serious with me, Three eyes.” He said, his patience already running thin with her. Not once did he turn around to face her, his eyes trying to focus on the small machinery of the Vex, his fingers tingling from being covered in the Radiolarian Fluid from taking the being apart.

“I have been contacted by the Exo Stranger. “ She said bluntly, her words reverberating around the empty room. “She is currently preparing for a mission to observe some phenomena within Europa.” she added, The Drifter now no longer tinkering with the Vex but still not turning around. 

“I guess you have my attention. What does this have to do with me then, when do I get involved and save the day?” he mumbled, thinking over all the possibilities while he fidgeted with some scrap Vex piece between his fingers. 

“The Stranger has requested that both you and I accompany her to the mission.”

“For how long?”

“I'm not sure. She didn’t say much. She simply said it was an important matter. “

“Why did she send you?”

“She’s busy with setting up for the journey and gathering supplies. Europa is a cold and abandoned place, and it-”

“-it’s filled with Vex and the Fallen, there’s no running water, no power, and the temperatures drop to unsurvivable levels. How long do you _think_ We will be there for?” The drifter broke the Ping-Pong of sentences between the two, unspoken tension within the room reaching critical levels. 

“From all that she told me, at least a couple of weeks.” Eris finally said, the air cold and silent within the room. 

The Drifter thought about the possibilities of what could happen while he was stationed out there. Eris could stab him in the back, the Exo could kill them all in the middle of the night and no one would know. They could run out of food or power, not a problem for the drifter with Fallen Abound, but he wasn't sure if Eris would be up for eating them. 

"Now why do I have to go with you and that Exo all the way to Europa? Can't you two just go alone? You seem fully capable, Moondust.”

"It pains me to say this, but we need you. The two of us aren't enough for what could be lurking out there. The Stranger was summoned by the Nine to do this. It's difficult to get out of a mission like that." The drifter contemplated the words she spoke. Clearly the Stranger had given her more information than she was willing to share, and whatever it was, it was something serious enough that Eris reached out to him of all people. 

"What about this huh, who's going to take care of Gambit and the lot while I'm gone?" He said, trying to think of any and all excuses as to not go. He really didn't wish to be spending at least a couple of weeks in a single tent with people he certainly did not trust. Then again, who did he trust at this point? 

"I'm sure either Zavala Or Shaxx will figure something out." There was hesitation within her voice, as if the next words she was going to say were embarrassing and pained "Please. This is a gravely important matter. This is the _Darkness_ we are dealing with. " She said, her lips curling into an uncomfortable frown.

After a moment of thought, Drifter sighed and rose from the chair he was sat in. "Fine, let me pack my stuff, and I'll meet you at the Hangar.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
  
  



	2. Strained Networks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eris, The Drifter and The Stranger travel to Europa. Meanwhile, Vilea and her fire team prepare for a mission against Caiatl's forces on Nessus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads-up, I have 3 OC Characters which are included in this story from now on.
> 
> Vilea Mirev Is an Awoken Warlock and the leader of her fire team. With Bright orange hair and eyes and Armour to match, she prefers an intellectual and strategic solution to situations. Her weapon of choice is the Riskrunner, and she uses Chaos Reach as her light ability.
> 
> Omen-5 is a Warlock Exo and Is a member of Vilea's Fireteam. He is more guns blazing, shotgun to the face Type of guy. Struggling with identity and self being due to being an Exo. Quiet and reserved, he only opens up to those who deserve it. His weapon of Choice is the Chaperone, and he mainly uses the Well of Radiance.
> 
> Laira Vens Is an awoken Titan and the tank of Vilea's Fireteam. She is a quick, Impulsive thinker with wild Indigo hair and bright blue eyes, she is very forward with her words. She sometimes sounds blunt and rough, but that's just because she doesn't know better. Furthermore, she Mainly uses the Two-Tailed fox, and She relies on Banner Shield as her Super.

The drifter has felt the movement of a ship many times before, yet every time he feels the lift off the ground his adrenaline spikes. This could be the last time he ever stepped his foot in the tower. Any and every mission could be his last, and that thought never leaves his head as the ship begins to speed up. The soft clicking of buttons and switches from within the cockpit being the only noise that filled the silence between the three as the Stranger piloted the cruiser. Eris sat still, almost motionless on the floor, in an almost meditative state trying to pass the time. The drifter observed her, fiddling with his gambit charm between 2 fingers, feeling the raised areas of the Fallen symbol and the snake symbol on the other side. His fingertips were slowly losing feeling from the calluses growing from the constant strain he put his hands though. Sitting up, he walked up to the woman and leaned down seeing if she was asleep. Wouldn't surprise him, he had to learn how to sleep sitting up many years ago, most guardians know how to. Would she drop her guard around the two of them? The drifter knew the answer was no, but he wasn't sure as to why she was so calm, even with the man approaching her. The green glow of her eyes was softer, dimmer, flickering occasionally. He never saw this when dealing with the Hive, their eyes always piercing bright. Could she even see him? 

The Drifter waved his hand in front of Eris’ face, expecting a reaction. Much to his surprise, the woman stayed still, only her breath wavering in the humid air that filled the space between them. His face turned into that of puzzled confusion. Eris was not one to trust them, trust *him*, like this. His hand reached closer to her face, hooking around the dirty, rough material of her face covering feeling the black ooze touch his fingertip and-

_**Thwack** _

With a quick movement Drifter’s wrist was grabbed by Eris’ hand. His wrist squeezed with a surprising amount of force. Eris was silent, but the grip was powerful and sent him the right message. “Ow Moondust, was just checking if you're alive!” he said, turning his hand still in the vice-like grip Eris had on him. “You could have just asked me, rather than trying to do it in such an irritating way. “ She remarked, pulling his hand away from her face before letting go. She stood up, walking off to the other side of the ship in order to grab some water. The Drifter stood there, his wrist sore and reddened from the grip. His Blue eyes looked the woman up and down. She was just a little shorter than him but she clearly seemed very powerful and just as mysterious as usual. His eyes gazed down on his own hand, the black sticky like goo still coating his index and middle fingers. His ever moving brain having a few strange thoughts pass through. Mostly of the difficult times that led him to pure survival mode, and the Hive he had to scavenge and eat to live. The black fluid feels similar to the blood of those creatures, and the drifters mind wonders if it tastes just the same. He had to stop himself from putting his fingers in his mouth, he wasn't going to embarrass himself any further. Walking towards the sink where Eris had just been, he began to wash his hands and the three of them returned to silence. 

* * *

Vilea Mirev entered the H.E.L.M headquarters cautiously. It’s only been a few days since the conflict with Caiatl had begun and the Cabal have already been aggressively attacking on multiple fronts, including Nessus. There had been rumours from other Guardians that they are within Europa, but the warlock didn't want to get involved with them until The Stranger, Eris and The Drifter checked it out. Her boots stormed across the floor of the H.E.L.M, walking around and towards the War table. She was rather stressed out about all the recent events, especially since no one really knew the true scope of Caiatl’s power or her true motives. Her orange eyes scanned the room, observing the frames as she approached her goal, taking off her gauntlets and placing them down. She watched as the light of the table flickered, Zavala’s face flashing onto it. “There is a very large Cabal presence within Nessus right now. I wish for you to investigate into what is currently happening along with your fireteam, and challenge Caiatl’s Champions through what is called the Rite of Proving.” Zavala’s voice was rough, clearly strained. The vanguard did not need another threat to deal with, especially not Cabal. Vilea nodded her head, cracking her knuckles to release the tension in her bones as the hologram continued to flicker 

"I understand your concern, commander. My fireteam and I will certainly go out and investigate this “Rite of Proving”. I can assure you that Caiatl will soon be nothing but past."

Vilea ran her thumb and index finger along her brows, massaging her forehead from the pulsing of a growing headache. That's one thing she was good at, keeping up appearances. Is her fire team even strong enough to deal with Caiatl? Cabal were never her strong suit, especially with them being somewhat resistant to arc energy. The hologram flickered away just as her amber eyes turned glossy, her mind trying to keep whatever was coming up to stay down. Deep, deep down, no wavering in her voice as she swallowed her emotions and looked behind her, the other two members of her fire team approaching.

“Zavala really thinks that were able to take on a threat such as those champions, let alone Caiatl?” Laira said, stretching her arms as she walked around the war table and studied the map of Nessus projected onto it. “Laira I really don’t think Zavala would be giving us this mission if he assumed we couldn't do it.” Omen replied, already at the war table analysing plans. "All you're doing is casting worry in the wind" He added, leaning over the table. 

"We're going to be attacking from the left flank. The First order will be to eliminate the already present threat. There's been rumours of heavy artillery, and we might require keys to disable those. Then we can move onto breaking down their barriers and finally approach the champion in the rite of proving. I still need to do the research on what the rite consists of, but it probably will not be A peaceful debate over cookies." Vilea remarked, the three of them falling silent as they thought over their plans. Vilea turned towards the bookshelves, trying to look for material relating to Cabal and their rites, as time began to pass. 

* * *

  
  


Eris sat behind the steering controls of the ship, The stranger standing up and walking off to Join The drifter in the other cabin. She sat down and bent over, groaning in response As she stretched out the tensed wires and pistons.

The drifter looked her up and down, confused a little "How does that work within an exo?" he said, and when the stranger glanced at him, he raised up his hands "Hey, I don't really hang around exo, I didn't mean to offend." he added, not trying to fall out with her or embarrass himself like he did with Eris just a few hours ago. The stranger looked at her hands and arms, before turning up to lock eyes with the man" Just like your muscles contract and relax with tiny electric pulses, my body contracts and relaxes with tension wires and hydraulics. What happens after years of use of the same pistons, same wires? They get stiff. They lack lubrication, they don't work as they… used to before." She trailed off, the man focusing on her intently as she spoke her words. "Joints click, metal rusts." She added, their eyes locking.  


"I would know something about that. " He said, rubbing his eyelids as the Stranger hummed softly "Don't you have your ghost to heal you?" She said, thinking about if she ever did actually see his ghost before. "You guardians have advantages like that..." She added, stretching her neck wires as she let out an audible sigh. Eris was hearing into the conversation, and she knew exactly where this was heading. She was glad she was piloting and couldn't get involved. 

"My Ghost is none of my concern. It doesn't heal me and I don't need its healing. " Drifter huffed, trying to keep his anger down. The Stranger was probably just asking out of confusion rather than aggravation. 

"How many times has it revived you?" 

"I never counted. I also never asked it to revive me. I didn't **ask** to become a guardian." he said through gritted teeth, silence falling onto the trio once again. Once the situation seemed to fizzle, Eris softly announced "Europa is in view. Estimated time is around half an hour. "


End file.
